This opinion piece by Dr. Trevor Hancock was originally published in the Times Colonist and was reprinted by Upstream. Reproduced by permission. Dr. Trevor Hancock is a professor and senior scholar at the University of Victoria’s school of public health and social policy.

This role is an exceptional opportunity for an energetic, motivated individual with five (5) to (7) years of nursing experience and at least three (3) years of management experience in the long-term care industry. The ideal candidate is an RN; an individual with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing is preferred. The incumbent will oversee the clinical component care of services. A sound knowledge of relevant long-term care legislation is essential.

Canada’s First Ministers established the Health Council of Canada in the 2003 Accord on Health Care Renewal and enhanced its role in the 2004 10-Year Plan to Strengthen Health Care. The Health Council reports on the progress of health care renewal, on the health status of Canadians, and on the health outcomes of our system. Its goal is to provide a system-wide perspective on health care reform for the Canadian public, with particular attention to accountability and transparency.

I What are generic drugs?II Why are generic drugs an issue now?III Six critical factorsIV How can we fix this?

Submitted by John G. Abbott, CEO, Health Council of Canada

I What are generic drugs?

A generic drug is a drug which is produced and distributed without patent protection. These drugs have the same medicinal ingredients as the original brand-name products, but may contain different non-medicinal ingredients.

This survey, funded by Echo: Improving Women’s Health in Ontario is part of a project called “Making Gender-Based and Equity-Assisting Frameworks Accessible: Knowledge Translation Strategies for Ontario's Healthcare Professionals”. Please take 15 minutes and fill it out.

The South West Local Health Integration Network (LHIN), is one of 14 local organizations that have been created in Ontario to plan, coordinate and fund local health services, including hospitals, community care access centres (CCACs), long-term care homes, community health centres (CHCs), community support service agencies, and mental health and addictions agencies. The office of the South West LHIN is located in London, Ontario.